Jul 12

CanLit for Little Canadians applauds Door into Faerie

81rEdc1D1+LHelen Kubiw, who has reviewed all of The Shards of Excalibur books at CanLlit for Little Canadians, has nice things to say about Door into Faerie:

“This fifth book is as forged with magic, conflict, action and travel, as well as a little history, as the earlier four books…but family, which has always been important, becomes paramount. Brothers and sisters Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, and Wally and Felicia, as well as mothers Emily Forsythe and Jessica Knight, drive the story, and ultimately help resolve its plotlines, a monumental task in a fantasy based on the Arthurian legends. Yet Edward Willett accomplishes this easily with his consistent intensity and fluidity of plot progression…”

Read the whole thing!

And the book, too, of course. 🙂

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/07/12/canlit-for-little-canadians-applauds-door-into-faerie/

May 25

CanLit for Little Canadians likes “exciting” Cave Beneath the Sea

CaveBeneath_theSea_smallerHelen Kubiw at the excellent CanLit for Little Canadians site has been a fan of The Shards of Excalibur from the beginning, and she likes Cave Beneath the Sea quite a lot:

In Cave Beneath the Sea, Edward Willett has created as exciting a read as the earlier books in the series, continuing to develop his characters and their relationships while the action-filled plot carries the reader to intriguing national and international locales.  Both Ariane and Wally feel the power of the sword, drawing them to its shards but also compelling their anger in those who have hurt them: parents, siblings, bullies, enemies. And while they struggle with those yearnings, they are finding their way to a hitherto-unknown girlfriend-boyfriend relationship that provides them the family they both crave.  It’s hard for me to decide which is the stronger foundation for the story, the characters or the plot, as both are substantial and intricate.  Regardless, Cave Beneath the Sea takes The Shards of Excalibur a fast-moving step closer to the Door to Faerie, the magical entity and Book 5 in the series.

Read the whole thing!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/05/25/canlit-for-little-canadians-likes-exciting-cave-beneath-the-sea/

Apr 13

Announcing the Door into Faerie book launch!

81rEdc1D1+LBook launch news! The launch of Door into Faerie, the final book in my five-book young adult Shards of Excalibur fantasy series, will be held June 8 at 7 p.m. The Artful Dodger, and you’re invited!

BONUS: I’ll be singing “The Road Goes Ever On,” the song cycle of Tolkien poems set to music by Donald Swann (of Flanders & Swann), accompanied by the inimitable Rob Ursan. Also, food. Also, you may purchase libations. Also, I’ll read from the book. Also, you may buy books.

I mean, c’mon, what more do you want for a fine evening’s entertainment?

See you there!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/04/13/announcing-the-door-into-faerie-book-launch/

Apr 02

Cool bookmark for Door into Faerie

Door into Faerie bookmarkThe May 15 release date of Door into Faerie draws ever nearer! Book launch plans will be announced soon. In the meantime, here’s a cool bookmark created by Coteau Books.

You can read the first two chapters of this climactic book in The Shards of Excalibur here!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/04/02/cool-bookmark-for-door-into-faerie/

Mar 20

Read the first two chapters of Door into Faerie!

81rEdc1D1+LWe’re just two months from the May 15 release of Door into Faerie, and I’ve got the page proofs in hand right now. Which means it’s time to give you a sneak peek.

Normally I only post the opening chapter of the books, but for the finale, I’m giving you two.

Click here to read the first two chapters of Door into Faerie!

And remember, you can already pre-order the book on Amazon, at Chapters Indigo, or directly from the publisher, Coteau Books.

The synopsis:

Ariane and Wally must reforge the sword of Excalibur to defeat Merlin: but doing so may unleash something neither of them is strong enough to handle.

In the climactic fifth book of The Shards of Excalibur series, Ariane, Wally, Flish and Rex Major are on a collision course, converging on the resting place of the final piece of the sword: the hilt, long ago removed from its original hiding place by the descendants of King Arthur. When Wally uncovers its surprising location, far closer to hand than they’d ever guessed, it seems all Ariane and Wally have to do is claim it and reforge the sword to defeat Merlin forever.

Except…how, exactly, do you reforge a magical sword? Especially, how do you do it when the richest man in the world is on your trail and pouring all of his enormous resources into stopping you?

When the pieces of the sword are at last reunited, the results aren’t at all what Ariane and Wally imagined. With Excalibur whole again, the long-closed door into Faerie swings open wide. Who — and what — emerges from it may destroy everything and everyone Wally and Ariane have fought so hard to save — and allow Rex Major to snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat. 

Fighting side by side, Ariane and Wally must draw on all their strength, courage, magic and love to save the world…and there’s no guarantee it will be enough.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/03/20/read-the-first-two-chapters-of-door-into-faerie/

Mar 05

CM: Canadian Review of Materials recommends Cave Beneath the Sea

CaveBeneath_theSea_smallerCM: Canadian Review of Materials gives Cave Beneath the Sea a nice review

“The author has created interesting characters as the villain and the heroes all have occasional uncertainties about their actions…Cave Beneath the Sea will appeal to young readers in search of adventure as well as adults who enjoy another version of the timeless story of King Arthur. Recommended.”

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/03/05/cm-canadian-review-of-materials-recommends-cave-beneath-the-sea/

Jan 16

Two great reviews at CanLit for Little Canadians

Starting off 2016 right, Twist of the Blade and Lake in the Clouds both picked up excellent reviews, one after the other, at the excellent CanLit for Little Canadians site.

Twist of the Blade for WebOf Twist of the Blade, Helen Kubiw writes:

“While Edward Willett continues to weave the Arthurian legend into a Saskatchewan setting, he builds on the Merlin, Arthur and Lady of the Lake story by creating a magical sword that craves to be reconstructed and wielded as a weapon…Edward Willett capably brandishes the trust issues of teens, especially those related to their families, as the means to progress the story.  But it’s these same issues with which Merlin and Arthur had to deal…without their anger and self-doubt, Ariane and Wally could not learn to believe in others and themselves as worthy of the challenge to bring together the shards of the legendary sword of King Arthur…”

Lake_intheClouds_smallerAnd then, of Lake in the Clouds:

“Excalibur is getting closer to being reconstructed, and the characters’ roles are being redefined.

“By continuing to develop his characters so that they never remain good or evil or secondary, Edward Willett has ensured that the plot doesn’t stagnate…With Ariane and Wally both being affected by the shards and learning of new abilities, as well as other characters being drawn into the story in different ways, The Lake in the Clouds becomes a fuller story.  The plot itself continues to evolve and the adventure is grand, as travel by plane, bus, boat, limo, cloud (yep, that’s Ariane) and water (her again) takes the characters from across Canada (Toronto, Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Emma Lake and Vancouver) and to Hawaii and New Zealand.  The journeys are part of the quest but hold on because your travelling companions are switching places and your next seat mates may be a surprise in Cave Beneath the Sea…”

A great way to start the year, especially with the release of Door Into Faerie just a few months away…

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2016/01/16/two-great-reviews-at-canlit-for-little-canadians/

Nov 24

Cave Beneath the Sea now available!

CaveBeneath_theSea_smallerCave Beneath the Sea, Book 4 of my Shards of Excalibur young adult fantasy series from Coteau Books, officially released on November 15. I’ve been thrilled with all the covers of the Shards of Excalibur series, and I think you can see why, looking at Cave Beneath the Sea. All the books have looked fantastic, and I can’t wait to finish off the series in the spring with Door into Faerie, the climactic conclusion.

Here’s the description of Cave Beneath the Sea:

“Seeking to recover the shards of King Arthur’s sword Excalibur before Rex Major (the ancient sorcerer Merlin in a modern-day guise), Ariane and Wally have traveled around the world, but their quest is not over. Thanks to Wally, Ariane knows her mother is alive-and that Rex Major is trying to find her. In Cave Beneath in the Sea, Ariane and Wally race to the Caribbean as they try to find Ariane’s mother and the fourth shard of Excalibur before Major does. As they struggle to stop him, Ariane and Wally must make the most difficult decisions of their lives.”

I had a great time writing Cave Beneath the Sea and I can’t wait for readers to experience it. It’s available directly from Coteau Books, or through Amazon.ca or Indigo, in both paperback and ebook formats.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2015/11/24/cave-beneath-the-sea-now-available/

Oct 27

Another nice Lake in the Clouds review

Lake_intheClouds_smallerThis one is from Resource Links, and is posted to Coteau Books‘ website:

“The overlay of the Arthurian legend on a modern Canadian context works surprisingly well. Merlin’s magical powers are invested in Rex Major’s spyware embedded in the internet. Wally’s loyalty and courage accurately reflect both Arthur’s strength and his fatal flaw. Ariane’s coolly calculated actions echo the dispassionate deeds of the Lady of the Lake . . . Readers who are invested in the series will eagerly anticipate the final two books.”

Read the whole thing.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2015/10/27/another-nice-lake-in-the-clouds-review/

Oct 24

Glowing review in Canadian Children’s Book News

544661-summer-2015-vo 1Twist of the Blade and Lake in the Clouds were among the recommended books reviewed in the Summer 2015 issue of Canadian Children’s Book News.

Reviewer Matthew Johnstone writes, in part:

“The strengths of Willett’s series really shine in these two recent books. Throughout both, the plot moves with enthralling velocity as Willett heightens the tension for Ariane and Wally. Not only does the race for the shards of Excalibur build momentum, but the challenges Ariane and Wally encounter from family, friends and enemies consistently deepen their characters and force them to grow in significant ways.

“Moreover, Willett provides a wonderfully evocative sense of place. From Regina, Saskatchewan, to Lyon, France, to Queenstown, New Zealand, and the rivers and lakes and clouds through which Ariane and Wally travel, Willett crafts immersive locations that lend genuine vigour to the story…

“At the heart of these two novels, however, is the evolving relationship between Ariane and Wally. In a world of absent parents…they must rely upon themselves and upon each other. They must learn to trust each other, for they are being changed by their contact with and use of old magic steeped in old conflicts, desires and mysteries — all of which become particularly vital in Lake in the Clouds. How Ariane and Wally deal with such changes, and with the increasing responsibilities of their quest, makes them truly admirable characters.

“Willett’s The Shards of Excalibur series…gives fresh life to the Arthurian legends, and there is, indeed, much to look forward to in the next two instalments.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shardsofexcalibur.com/2015/10/24/glowing-review-in-canadian-childrens-book-news/

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